Interview with Ivan Dimitrov – manager of restaurant Leonardo

1. What is the story of Leonardo restaurant?

After the opening of the Lucky Bansko hotel in December 2007 and the subsequent successful seasons, accompanied by the recognition of the clients and branch organizations, as well as numerous awards, came the idea for the opening of second restaurant in the hotel, namely Leonardo. Of course, this decision was also motivated by the fact that the tourist business started to develop at a very fast pace and also by the fact that Bansko started becoming an increasingly recognizable and preferred tourist destination. The resort is known not only as one of the best in Bulgaria, but also as a competitive in the Balkans. That is what motivates the owner of Lucky Bansko hotel to make such an investment.

The idea was this to be a restaurant, which is part of the hotel and at the same time is located outside the hotel, but is in close proximity to it, in order to serve both the guests of Lucky Bansko and outside visitors – guests of other hotels and from the resort in general. In the garden of the Leonardo restaurant are designed and built the outdoor pools of the hotel, which are available to all people during the hot summer months. Maybe someday we will make a line…

2. What do you offer to your customers?

We are devoted to offer our guests stability – both in the quality of food and in the service. I think that is what makes us distinguishable. Stability is a quality that is highly appreciated by the guests. I believe that based on that quality, guests keep coming back to the hotel. We also try to offer our guests unostentatious but high quality service, to make them feel special and, at the same time, to make them feel at home. We want them to feel appreciated. The food is also very important. That is why we always serve fresh and well-cooked food, most of which we prepare on spot, in other words – homemade food.

3. What is the favorite thing of the visitors?

Well, that is a very interesting question! I would say that in order to be sure of the answer, we should ask one of our guests. This is complex. I think first of all they like the freshly prepared food combined with the service, the individual spirit, the unique atmosphere and energy of the restaurant. This is the most important thing in a restaurant!

4. What is the favorite dish of your customers? What is ordered most often?

It is difficult for me to answer this question. Many of our guests come back to enjoy the fresh homemade pasta, others come back to enjoy the homemade pizza, and there are those who cannot resist our unique barbecue. Our barbecue is charcoal, which further contributes to the taste qualities and aroma of the home cooked food.

5. What is your formula for success?

If the success is a process, not an end goal, as I said earlier, perhaps it is our consistency and our pursuit of continuous improvement. Because, apart from the atmosphere, also the staff is very important. Each one of us is friendly, polite and attentive even to the smallest detail. For us the guests are the most important thing and every day we try to prove this to them. Our desire is to make them feel wanted and appreciated. Our driving force is to work so that they will feel satisfied and at home.

6. What makes you unique, what distinguishes you?

The Leonardo restaurant has its own charm, combining incredible interior, gentle lavender scent and a relaxed atmosphere. I believe that it is one of the most modern restaurants in Bansko. Unique? I don’t know, but maybe the thing that makes us unique is the fact that we are doing our best to satisfy every wish of our guests, to make them feel appreciated and to give them the opportunity to experience real culinary pleasure from the exquisite Italian cuisine prepared according to the original recipes.

7. What would you like to say to your clients – present and future?

To our present guests I would say: „Thank you! Thank you for trusting us and for being with us, also thank you that you believe in us and support us! This means a lot. Without you, we wouldn’t be what we are now. Your opinion and recommendations are important to us“. To our future guests I would like to say that we are looking forward to welcome them and to help them feel one incredible culinary fairy of tastes, to offer them an incredible experience, combined with delicious and freshly prepared food. A real adventure for the senses! Come and become a part of the magic called Leonardo!